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United States Patent |
5,081,829
|
Grube
|
January 21, 1992
|
Powered edger
Abstract
On golf courses it is common practice for the golf club to provide carts
for the golfers who wish to use them to go from one golfer's stroke to the
next. When tournaments are held large crowds walk along one side of the
golf course fairways of the course to observe the various strokes taken by
the golfers who are participants in the tournament. To provide walkways
for the tournament observers, and for the golfers who use carts many
courses have walkways for the carts and for the guests and observers
watching the tournaments. These walkways are generally formed of asphalt,
which is easy for golfers who have spiked shoes to walk on. To present a
neat, well kept appearance it is necessary to keep the grass trimmed to
the edges of these walkways. This is a time consuming and laborious job
that must be done by experienced and skilled workers. I have devised a
Gravity Actuated Edger having a large diametered sharpened disk wheel to
roll along on the walkway about an inch or so from the edge of the asphalt
walkway to cut the grass that encroaches onto the walk ways. To pull the
loose grass from behind the cutting blade, I have found that a vertically
mounted revolving round brush, preferably made of wire, positioned closely
in back of the cutting disk is very effective in pulling the loose grass
from in back of the cutting blade. A neat appearance of the cart path is
thus insured. This improved Edger is also excellent for edging bicycle
riding paths.
Inventors:
|
Grube; Walter (5749 Riverside Dr., Cape Coral, FL 33904)
|
Appl. No.:
|
660721 |
Filed:
|
February 25, 1991 |
Current U.S. Class: |
56/256 |
Intern'l Class: |
A01D 034/00 |
Field of Search: |
56/229,231,255,256,295,17.1
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
3812917 | May., 1974 | Strate | 56/256.
|
4907404 | Mar., 1990 | Oliver et al. | 56/256.
|
4962631 | Oct., 1990 | Braun et al. | 56/17.
|
Primary Examiner: Bui; Thuy M.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Wilson; Alfred E.
Claims
I claim:
1. In a golf course having driving tees from which the golfers "tee off
from" toward greens spaced from the driving tees and where the golfers
"hole out, " spaced fairways between each of the driving tees and its
associated green, asphalt walkways having edges and central areas leading
along the fairways from each driving tee to its associated "green", a
rotatable cutting disk adapted to be guided along the edges of the
walkways to cut grass and other vegetation along the edges of the
walkways, and a rotatable brush having vertically extending bristles in
free floating contact with the walkway to pull grass and matted vegetation
has been partially cut and direct it towards the center of the walkway.
2. Hard surfaced walkways having edges and central areas, a rotatable
cutting disk adapted to be guided along the edges of the walkways to cut
grass and other vegetation along the edges of the walkways, a rotatable
brush having vertically extending bristles in free floating contact with
the walkways at the discharge side of the cutting disk to pull out grass
and matted vegetation some of which will have been partially cut and
direct it towards the center of the walkway.
3. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the disk is suspended on a
fulcrum spaced from the cutting edge of the disk.
4. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein removable weights are suspended
to increase the loading exerted by the rotatable disk.
5. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the brush is rotatable in the
clockwise direction.
6. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the brush in positioned
adjacent the cut side of the disk and is free floating vertically to pull
partially cut and matted vegetation and discharge it toward the center of
the walkway.
7. The invention defined in claim 2 wherein the large diametered rotatable
disk is hingedly mounted on a fulcrum spaced longitudinally from the point
of contact of the cutting disk with the walkways, and removable weights to
increase the loading exerted on the rotatable disk.
8. The invention defined in claim 2 wherein non-circular telescoping
members mounted perpendicularly to the axis of the cutting disk are
provided to control the movement of the brush.
9. In a hard surfaced bicycle path having edges and central areas, a
gravity actuated edger for cutting grass and foliage encroaching on the
bicycle path, a large diametered sharpened disk adapted to roll along
bicycle path approximately an inch from the edge of the bicycle path to
cut grass and other foliage encroaching on the bicycle path, a vertically
disposed rotatable brush adapted to pull out partially cut grass and
foliage from the inside at the cut side of the disk and discharge it
towards the center of the bicycle path.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Heretofore it has been common practice to cut the grass back about an inch
from the edge of the asphalt cart path or walkway. That required a lot of
hand work, and it is difficult to keep the entire areas along the asphalt
walkways looking uniform.
Golf courses are very extensive, the smallest having at least two nine hole
courses wherein each nine hole course has 2,000 to 3,500 yards of
fairways, some of which are lined with trees on one or both sides from the
tees where the golfers "drive off" from to the greens where they "hole
out". On many of the larger courses where tournaments are played a
vigorous effort is made to have the courses looking uniform and well kept
throughout. This requires a lot of careful work done by several men
experienced in golf course care. The fairways are fertilized and watered
to keep the grass growing, and to insure a good appearance. The fairways
are mowed frequently, and an effort i made to have the entire course give
the impression of being well kept.
1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is to have the asphalt walkways along the edges
of all of the fairways throughout the entire golf course looking uniformly
trimmed, and preferably having the grass run up to the edge of the asphalt
walkways but not to be straggling over the surface of the walkways of the
golf courses, and bicycle riding paths. Being in alignment with the edges
of the asphalt walkways, the fairways present a highly desirable
appearance throughout the entire golf course or bicycle riding paths.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore efforts have been made, by the use of powered Edgers to attempt
to maintain a degree of alignment and uniformity of the edges of the grass
with the surface of the asphalt walkways. In view of the long distances
between the areas where the golfers "tee off from" to the Greens, it is
virtually impossible to consider using electric edgers because of the long
distances that the electric lines would have to extend to. It has been
found that gasoline powered edgers do not provide the delicacy and
precision of operation that is desired to maintain the edges of the
asphalt walkways in golf courses, and the edges of bicycle riding paths in
proper condition.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
After extensive experience in the maintenance of golf courses, including
the asphalt walkways in golf courses and on bicycle ride paths, I have
devised a simple and very effective gravity activated device for
accurately maintaining the asphalt walkways in golf courses and bicycle
riding paths in excellent condition.
I employ a large diametered sharpened rotatable disk mounted on a lever arm
carried by a small tractor in such a manner that the weight of the cutting
blade and its supporting members and auxiliary weights if needed are
operable to exert a sufficient cutting force to cut grass and other
foliage as the rotatable disk is rolled along the edge of the asphalt
walkways. I prefer that the cutting edge of the rotatable disk run along
the edge of the asphalt walkway about an inch from the outer edge of the
walkway to cut the grass and other foliage that is encroaching thereon. If
desired additional weights as needed can be added to increase the foliage
cutting ability of the disk.
I provide a small rotatable vertically mounted circular wire brush of
approximately six inches in diameter, positioned to bear lightly on the
outer edge of the asphalt walkway, and free floating vertically to the
extent of about two inches and rotating at approximately 1,000 to 1,500
RPM to pull the grass and other vegetation that is growing along the edge
of the walkway.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings wherein similar parts are identified by the same reference
numerals throughout the several views:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my improved Edger from the upper right hand
side thereof.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device.
FIG. 3 is a view from the front inside of the Edger showing the location of
the vertically mounted free floating brush relative to the cutting disk.
FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a three wheeled tractor, one of the types of
three or four wheeled tractors that my improved edger can be mounted on.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the pathway
edger having a large disk with a sharpened edge 10 freely rotatably
carried by a hub 12 (FIG. 3) and is rotatably mounted to run along about
an inch from the outer edge 14 of the hard surfaced asphalt walkway 16.
The hub 12 which supports the large disk 10 can be carried by any
commercially available wheel supporting structure, such for example as the
hub carrying member 18 as best seen in FIG. 3. The disk carrying member 18
is secured to a horizontally disposed transversely extending flat plate 20
secured at one end to the top of the hub carrying member 18. The
vertically disposed member 22 is elongated, and has an angularly inclined
section 24 which terminates in a section 26 substantially in alignment
with the disk 10, and having an aperture connected through a stud 28 to
the tractor illustrated in FIG. 4 which can be of any suitable three or
four wheeled tractor operably connected to the Edger.
As more clearly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 the portion 24 of the vertical
member adjacent the rearwardly extending portion 26 thereof is provided
with a reinforcing member 30 (FIG. 2) extending to the flat transversely
extending member 20 to provide a rigid triangular disk supporting
structure 20, 24 and 30 to provide adequate support for the disk 10.
The bar 32 carried by the tractor, engages under the end of the flat plate
20 to elevate the edger, about the stud 28 when the left hand pedal 34 of
the tractor shown in FIG. 4 is depressed. The right hand pedal 36
operating to lower the edger to the operative position where the weight of
the disk and its supporting structure is exerted on the disk 10. The power
to lift the edger is provided by the three wheeled tractor illustrated in
FIG. 4 to which the Edger is attached.
In the event that the cutting disk 10 and its supporting structure does not
have sufficient weight to cut the grass and other vegetation that is
encroaching on the asphalt cart path 16, weights 44 and 46 having slots 48
in their contoured portions near the front of the weights 44 and 46 to
hook over and engage the vertical reinforcing plate 50 (FIG. 2). The
reinforcing plate 50 is welded or otherwise secured to a reinforcing
member 52 secured as by welding between the flat plate 20 and the vertical
plate 50.
To pull out any grass or other vegetation that may have been partially cut
or is entangled with grass that has been cut, and to clear the grass and
other vegetation from the area of the cutting disk 10 a vertically mounted
brush 56 preferably having wire bristles is mounted to rotate, preferably
in the clockwise direction closely adjacent to the back, cut side of the
disk 10 to pull out any partially cut grass and other vegetation from the
cut side of the disk 10.
The brush 56 as more clearly illustrated in FIG. 3 is preferably a wire
bristle brush, mounted for clockwise rotation, and driven preferably by a
fluid pressure actuated oil drive unit to rotate at approximately 1,000
RPM to 1,500 RPM.
The brush 56 may be mounted on a flat plate 60 having an extension 62 which
supports a rectangular member 64 slidably mounted in a smaller rectangular
member 66 secured at the upper end to the flat transversely extending
member 20. With this construction the longitudinally extending bristles of
the brush 56 will at all times extend substantially perpendicularly to the
surface of the carpath, and will do a good job of pulling out any
partially cut or entangled vegetation.
In the event that a walkway has not been treated for a relatively long
period of time, and in instances where the asphalt is relatively thin, the
grass and other vegetation may grow up through the asphalt. In that
circumstance I have found that by positioning a second brush adjacent the
brush 56 and extending towards the middle of the cart path, the second
brush being driven by the same mechanism that drives the brush 56, a very
good job is achieved of pulling out any such vegetation and clearing the
walkway free from grass and other vegetation.
The dimensions of the rectangular member 64 and 66 slidably mounted
relative to each other is preferably approximately 11/2" for the larger
vertically extending member 64 carried by the extension 62 of the plate 60
which carries the brush 56, and the upper square tube 66 is secured to the
plate 20 may for example be 11/4" square. It will be understood that
securing members are provided to prevent the brush 56 and its associated
members from falling out of the assembly when the Edger is not in use.
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